On Riihimäki we are in the process of acquiring an employment apartment for the mayor of almost half a million euros.
Last Monday, the city government decided by a vote of 7-4 to propose to the city council an additional allocation of 450,000 euros. The purpose of the allocation is to buy a housing stock.
The matter was nailed down on Monday evening in the city council, which approved the section on the housing benefit in accordance with the proposal. The decision was made after a vote of 30–13, Riihimäki city’s communications and marketing manager Mia Miettinen told by email.
The mayor of Riihimäki is Jouni Eho. The apartment would be available to him and his family, said the chairman of the city board Riku Bitter (kok) before the council meeting. According to Bitter, it would be an apartment building.
“The mayor currently has an employee apartment where he can live when he is in Riihimäki, but which is not suitable for a family,” Bitter said.
According to Bitter, the goal of the housing investment is to commit the mayor to Riihimäki long-term. Riihimäki’s previous mayor was in office for only one year.
“In the case of the previous mayor, we decision-makers were criticized publicly for why the mayor didn’t live in Riihimäki. This is also a response to criticism,” said Bitter, referring to housing investment.
Nearly however, not everyone has accepted the investment of half a million euros in an official apartment. For example, a member of the city council who proposed burying the entire project Petri Mattila (sd) previously commented to Aamuposti that he thought the money would have other uses.
“Of course, it’s a significant investment, but there’s no way to waste the money of the municipalities here,” Bitter told HS.
The apartment would be used by possible future mayors and could be realized if necessary, Bitter stated.
Bitter according to the idea of an apartment suitable for the family came up in the goal discussions together with the mayor and is related to the salary review. The discussions concluded with the idea “that salary revision can be carried out in accordance with the manager’s contract in the form of a housing benefit”, the council on the agenda it is stated.
The housing benefit is included in the Riihimäki mayor’s total salary. The total salary of Riihimäki’s mayor is currently 10,800 euros. The average total salary of the mayor with allowances was 10,303 per month in 2021, Municipal and welfare area employers (KT) from statistics will survive.
Currently, the Riihimäki mayor’s total salary includes 578.80 euros housing benefit and the related electricity benefit of about 50 euros per month. In the proposal, the total salary would increase by around 880 euros per month. The value of the housing benefit for the apartment to be purchased would therefore be around 1,500 euros per month.
Is it’s rare for the city to make a new housing investment for the mayor, says the development manager Jarkko Beaver From the union of municipalities. He can’t think of similar situations.
“But there are cases where the mayor’s interests may have included the right to use an apartment previously owned by the city,” says Majava.
For example, in Espoo, the official residence of the city manager has long been in the Gumböle manor, which is owned by the city of Espoo.
According to Majava, one perspective on the matter may be the possibility of getting the mayor to make a long-term commitment.
Majava reminds that the mayor’s salary is a whole, which often includes various benefits, such as telephone and car benefits.
“It’s not that unusual to add a housing benefit to the whole,” says Majava.
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